August 25th marks the day Katrina reached hurricane strength and slammed into the coast of Florida. It's also the last Friday of the month, widely observed by Critical Mass rides around the country.

The goal of this ride is to take to the streets with a reminder that the racist tragedy in the Gulf continues, a demand that it never be repeated, and to raise awareness about the role of the oil industry and global warming in environmental injustice.

We'll also be fundraising at rides around the continent for advocacy and relief groups in New Orleans.

August 25th marks the 1-year anniversary of Katrina reaching hurricane strength. In the days that followed the storm would strengthen rapidly over an unnaturally warm Gulf of Mexico, ultimately striking the coast and leaving thousands dead and homeless, victims of an uncaring government, centuries of racism, and an ever more chaotic global climate.

This year, let's take to the streets with a reminder that the tragedy in the Gulf continues and a demand that it never be repeated.

We're looking for more help in Portland with sign making and flyering. PLEASE contact brian---at---risingtidenorthamerica.org for more info

Looking closely, you can see a slick, oily residue connecting the dots of injustice from Colombia to Baghdad to the Gulf Coast.

Along Louisiana's coast, once stunning wetlands are overrun by oil canals and drills. Residents of Louisiana's "Cancer Alley", a corridor of oil refineries and petrochemical plants, suffer the highest cancer rates in the United States. During Hurricane Katrina, black gold flowed from these plants into urban areas, bathing backyards in a petrochemical gumbo.

For the oil industry, demand nothing less than global Climate Justice: the dismantling of decades of racist exploitation, violence and murder, toxic pollution, and denial of oil's role in climate chaos!

Climate Injustice: Katrina is just the beginning As the climate chaos continues to escalate, the killer storms will become ever more frequent, sea levels will keep rising, and climate evacuees will go from thousands of millions. And the enduring racism in our society promises those suffering from these ecological disasters will continue to be the poor and people of color.

Climate change will affect all of us, but it will --and has-- affected some more than others. Combating this social and ecological devastation is the movement for Climate Justice.

Join Us on August 25th!Rising Tide North America ( www.risingtidenorthamerica.org ), a network of radical climate campaigners (including relief workers from Louisiana to New England) is working with Critical Mass groups around the country on August 25th to draw attention to the movement for climate justice and the important relationship between climate change, catastrophic storms, and environmental racism.

On Monday, August 25th, join Critical Mass riders around the continent and Rising Tide in exposing the oil industry for its role in decades of abuse in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world and illustrate that a world without oil and racist exploitation is possible.

Join our studio guests this afternoon for a discussion about Katrina and interview with a volunteer for in-depth conversations on the aftermath. Call in starting around 12:30pm (pacific) 503-715-0994 or 800-939-7973 We also welcome your comments via (aol/gaim )Instant Messenger to pdximcradio